File photo: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi stands next to Priyanka Gandhi and student activist Neha Bora leading the October 12th protest
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Thursday issued notices to Rahul Gandhi, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and other protestors over their October 12 march to the apex court to protest alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.The bench, headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and comprising Justice Joymalya Bagchi, said issuing notice on the petition did not mean it was condoning the conduct of the political leaders during the march.“We will issue notice but we want to know his conduct on the next date of hearing,” the CJI said, referring to Rahul.During the hearing, Chief Justice of India Surya Kant said, “We are not sitting in ivory towers,” after lawyers referred to attempts to “browbeat” the judiciary through the march.
The CJI said the court would ask Rahul to explain how crowds entered the Supreme Court premises during the demonstration.The INDIA bloc’s ‘Chalo Dilli – March for Democracy’, led by Rahul, brought thousands of supporters into central Delhi on October 12. The opposition was demanding chief election commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation and a halt to the SIR exercise over alleged electoral irregularities.The march saw supporters gather along roads between Connaught Place and the Supreme Court, waving party flags and raising slogans.
Police stopped the procession near Barakhamba Road, where some demonstrators pushed through barricades as security personnel attempted to hold them back. The crowd later gathered along Bhagwan Das Road, with some supporters climbing onto parked police vehicles and buses.
Rahul was joined by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Akhilesh Yadav, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav and other INDIA bloc leaders.
The procession followed the CJI’s refusal to meet opposition representatives seeking to submit a memorandum on alleged electoral irregularities. He had advised them to file a formal petition, citing matters already pending before the court.The opposition’s separate petition challenging the SIR process alleges arbitrary voter deletions and seeks greater transparency and safeguards in the revision of electoral rolls. The Supreme Court also issued notice to the Election Commission of India on that plea.